Hose-supporter clasp.



7240,07 5 @22M fwd R. B. TUNNILIFFE.

HOSE SUPPORTER CLASP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1906.

918,398. Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

15 7 l0 .3 4 9 1:1 g'l 2 5 5 E `I 7, I: `j l I i 1 I s' FT 1.1?'5 LL'.` 71! la /T fbi! INVENTO?.

ATTORNEYA 1H: NoRms PErERs ca. wAsHlNckuLn c.

ROBERT B. TUNNICLIFFE, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

HOSE-SUPPORTER CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 13, 1909.

Application led September 7, 1906. Serial No. 333,733.

To all whom 'it 'may concern:

Be 1t known that I, ROBERT I3. TUNNI- OLIFEE, a cltisen of the United States, resid- .ing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent `and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hose-Supporter Clasps, of which the following is a specifi` cation.

My invention relates to that class of hose supporters designed to hold the fabric with an elastic or yielding grip, and its particular object is to provide such an elastic or yielding grip in an especially convenient, eflicient and economical form. This object is obtained by the construction shown in the drawings.

In these drawings, Figure l is a top plan View of the device in completely operative position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal side View of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on the line m af: of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is a detailed View of the spring clasp which forms a part of the device, and Fig. 5 is -a top plan View of the blank from which the cap is formed.

In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates the strap, preferably of nonelastic web, to which the supporter is attached; 2 is the upper plate forming the base to which the spring clasp is attached, and slotted as shown in Figs. l and 2 to permit the nonelastic web or strap to pass therethrough. This arrangement permits the plate with attached spring clasp to be adjusted longitudinally upon the strap in the proper position, and it may then be sewed, or otherwise suitably attached to the strap.

3 represents the lower plate which I also prefer to attach to the strap l, by passing the latter through slots in the plate and then sewing or4 otherwise permanently fastening it. This keeps the upper and lower' plates with their attached parts in proper relative position, ready for use.

l is the head of the binding post 15 of metal or other suitable material. This post is at its base, permanently and rigidly attached in any suitable manner to the plate 3, so that it projects upwardly at right angles to the plane of the plate.

A cap Gef metal or other suitable material is suitably shaped or struck up and turned over the loop of the. spring catch in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the blank from which this cap is made being illustrated by Fig. rlhis cap may be secured in position in any suitable manner.

By reference to Fig. 5 it will he seen that the body of the blank has at one end a lug or projection 5, the remaining portion oi' the blank .icing made in double forni and adapted to be centrally bent upon itself. The bent connection between the arms 7 und S of the clasp is inserted within the double portion of the cap (i and secured, and when the cap is so applied, the lugI or projection 5 is between the portionsI of the said arms or will extend upwardly when the hose supporter or clasp as an entirety applied in operative position. On the external surface of this lug 5 I attach in any suitable manner the elastic cushion pad or covering 5. I find that a convenient and efficient means of providing such cushion covering is to vulcanize a soft rubber covering upon the metal base formed by the lug, so that it will be completely covered by this rubber cushion and the two will be permanently attached together. rIhe more essential feature is however, that the outer portion of the lug which comes in contact with the binding post shall be covered by, and shall carry, such elastic cushion.

7 and 8 are the two arms of the continuous spring clasp, made of spring wire or some similar material, and which conveniently may be constructed by coiling the wire upon itself so as to make a spring coil at one end as shown in Fig. l. The free end oi' the arm T is attached to the plate 2, at or near one side of the plate as shown by 1Q and l?) in Fig. 1, and is then bent at au angle as indicated by 7 and again attached to the plate near its opposite side as indicated at 14. One or both of these attachments should be rigid, and the spring clasp is thereby firmly attached to the plateQl and cannot move thereon nor turn in the points of attachment. The plate 2 also carries the hook 11, adapted to engage detachably the free end of the spring arm 8. Then this spring arm is out of engagement with the hook 11, it will assume the position shown by the dotted lines 8 in Fig. 1. The arms 7 and 8 are bent at 9 and 10 as shown in Fig. 4L, so that when the arm S is closed under the hook 11, the two bends 9 may encircle the post 15, and the two bends 10 approach each other and form a spring lock, normally holding the post against motion in the direction of plate 2, but at the same time yielding and permitting the post to pass if suiiicient force be applied.

The manner of using this device will be apparent from the drawings. The spring clasp T being open as shown in Fig. l, and the post wholly disengaged therefrom, the upper free edge of the fabric to be supported is passed over the post l5 and its head 4, and the expanded circular portion of the spring catch is then placed over and about the post, encircling the portion of the fabric which is carried by the post. The springclasp is then closed by forcing the arm 8 into the locking engagementwith hook 1l. rlhe inward bends l0 of the arms thereby force the post into close engagement with the cushioned lug 5 and the fabric is firmly held in an elastic grip between the post and the cushion lug. As this cushion is so constructed, as shown in Fig. 2, as to cover also the under surface of the lug, there will be similar cushioned contact affecting the fabric where it passes down between the lug 5 and the base of the post l5, so that there can be no abrasion of the fabric caused by rubbing between the two metallic surfaces.

By 'the use of this device I am enabled to avoid any sliding or rubbing of the fabric between the post and the walls of a surrounding guide or loop carrying the post to its seat at the narrow end of such guide; and the post is placed immediately, without such sliding' contact, in the position which itis permanently to occupy. lt will be noticed also, that the downward pull or weight of the supported fabric draws against the elastic or cushioned surface of the lug.`

instead of drawing against a metallic or rigid surface; and also that the double attachment of the clasp 7 to the plate 2 prevents the rotation which might otherwise occur, and thereby the spring arm S when closed is always at the proper point for engaging the hook 1l.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the clasp or clasp device is practically a part of the plate Q, as it is carried by said plate and depends from the latter when the supporter is in use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In a hose supporter clasp, the combination of a pair of upper and lower plates each carrying an engagement member, the engagement member carried by the upper plate. consisting of a spring clasp having a spring arm movable toward and from the center thereof, and having also an elastic cushion carried atl the lower end thereof, and

'the enga gement member carried by the lower plate consisting of a stud adapted to be embraced by the opposite portions of the spring clasp and held against the elastic cushion upon the spring clasp.

2. In a hose supporter, the combination of an upper plate carrying an engagement member, and a lower plate also carrying an engagement member to cooperate with the member of the upper plate, the engagement member carried by the upper plate consisting of a spring clasp provided with a spring arm, the upper plate having a hook with which the spring arm cooperates.

In a hose supporter clasp, the combination of a pair of upper and lower plates, each carrying an engagementmember, the engagement member carried by the upper plate consisting of a spring clasp having a` spring arm which may be opened and closed and also having inward bends formed in opposite portions thereof to coperatie with the engage-ment member of the lower plate, whereby upward motion of the engagement member carried by the lower plate may be resisted.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

UNNI CLIFFE.. 

